Implementing Policies as a Lash Technician
The word ‘policy’ can drum up a certain amount of fear for a new (or experienced!) business person - it can feel like we’re making things difficult for our customers, like we’re saying ‘no’ instead of ‘yes’, or even like we’re being a bit too corporate. What if we told you that implementing policies will help you to create an amazing client base,and make more money!
Before we go into policies that you can implement to help your lash business run smoothly, let’s have a quick look at how we can go about putting these policies in place without upsetting the apple cart too much.
Be Clear
All policies need to be clear, and you need to be up front about any changes that are due to be made. If you’re intending to implement a deposit policy, give your customers fair warning - the same goes if you’re updating your policy.
Make the Information Easy to Find
Your clients should be able to find out this information easily - true, it doesn't always make a super pretty post on IG as it is, but you can have a saved story with your policies inside for quick reference, and on the feed, try a carousel post to keep your feed cute at first glance, but with an obvious ‘swipe for important info!’
Be Firm
It’s all so well and good having these policies in place, but you need toenforce them - there might be the odd client who wants to waive their deposit fee, or who wants to argue with you about what constitutes lateness, or even how many lashes make an infill. Stand your ground!
Of course, by ‘stand your ground’ I don’t mean argue back, or even be blunt, what I mean is to explain the need for the policy in the first place - we all benefit from having things explained to us a little bit, rather than just being told something. Try this:
‘Just to let you know, when booking an appointment we now take a 30% deposit - this comes out of the final price so is not an additional fee, this just helps us to make sure we’re not having late cancellations or clients not turning up for their appointments. Please note that deposits are not refundable if you cancel less than 48 hours before your appointment.’
Which Policies Should You Implement?
- Patch Test
This is usually going to be dependent on your insurance provider, so absolutely check with them before you put anything solid in place. From a lash extension supplier point of view though (because we get lots of questions about patch testing!) we’d recommend at the very least offering your client a patch test, and explaining in detail the risks involved. Whether you enforce a policy that every client HAS to have a patch test, or whether it’s optional is completely up to you as a lash technician/salon manager. The most important thing is that your client is aware of the risks and has consented to the treatment.
- Deposit Fee
Charging a deposit is something that many lash technicians shy away from, but it’s going to make a big difference to your business! Not only will this prevent at least some of those last minute cancellations and no-shows, but it covers your time for the lost appointment, in the event that you’re not able to fill the slot. One bonus is that the customer can then effectively stagger their lash payments, which is always welcome if you’re paying for a luxury item in the middle of the month! Deposit fees can range from 10% up to 50% (or even more, it’s truly up to you!) of the full treatment cost - don’t be shy putting this in place, just be sure to make it clear that these fees are A. non-refundable, and B. taken off of their final payment,not additional to it.
We wrote a more in-depth post all about cancellation policies here, if there are still things you’re not sure of.
- Infill Time
What constitutes an infill, and when is it a full set? An infill should take no more than an hour, and will ideally take less time - all you’re doing is covering those lashes which have grown enough to support an extension since the last appointment, those which have grown out a lot, or those which have lost their lash extension. It’s well worth scheduling appointments for infills 3 weeks after a full set, and you’re well within your rights to class anything after that point as a full set, even if they still have lashes on.
There are all sorts of policies you can put in place as a business owner, and it never hurts to have them in place to ensure that your clients are all getting fair and great service, and that your business remains viable!
